Prison
by sentient1212
Summary: After Jack is imprisoned for the events of Season 3, he learns to deal with his demons. A prequel to The Terror Business. Please comment, and enjoy!


Prison - Chapter 1

As she waited to be buzzed into the room where attorneys meet with their clients, Barbara Gregory wondered again why she was doing this. Cliff Wexler had asked her to look into his friend's situation. Cliff and Jack Bauer had roomed together at UCLA for four years, two in the dorms, and the last two in an off-campus apartment. They were still best friends, and Cliff had told her that Jack had gotten a raw deal. She wasn't so sure, but she'd told Cliff, a friend of hers from law school, that she'd look into it.

She knew from the newspapers that Jack Bauer was responsible for the deaths of guards and inmates when he'd broken a drug dealer out of prison. According to the reports, Jack had turned rogue, after so many heroic missions at CTU, and no one knew why. She wondered if all the pressures of his job had made him snap.

The public had never been told of the connection between the Salazars and the Cordilla virus, nor had they been told of Jack's role in preventing the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people. All that people knew was that Jack had engineered a jail break, and caused so many deaths. From what she'd heard, Jack belonged in jail, so she didn't understand why Cliff was so insistent that Jack had been treated unfairly. But she'd promised Cliff, and that led her to where she was.

The lock on the door released, and Barbara entered and took a seat at one of the counsel tables. She'd been there many times before. She watched Jack enter the room. His once blonde hair was flecked with grey, and he looked like he was carrying the weight of the world. He was pale, and much thinner than he'd looked on TV. He shuffled in, not looking at all like the self-assured super agent whose picture she had seen so many times on the front page of the newspapers. Like so many people, she'd read with fascination and awe of Jack's exploits as a counterterrorism agent, and she, like so many others, had thought of him as a hero, until he had engineered the escape of Ramon Salazar. The figure coming towards the table was a broken man. How tragic, she thought, but put that out of her mind. If she was going to evaluate his case, she had to be objective.

"Hello, Jack," she said, offering her hand. "Nice to meet you," he replied without inflection, extending his own. His handshake showed no sign of strength. Barbara was shocked. Her unbidden thought was 'how the mighty have fallen.' She quickly put that out of her mind as well. To consider helping him, she had to approach his case without any preconceived notions. So far, I'm doing a lousy job of it, she thought. That wasn't like her.

"Cliff asked me to meet with you. He's sure you were denied a fair trial. I told him I'd look into it, but I want to make sure that you understand I'm not committing to represent you. I have to take a look at the trial record and the government's exhibits before I can decide anything. But first I have to hear your version of what happened."

"I understand," Jack said, almost inaudibly. He wouldn't get his hopes up, because he had no hope left. And he didn't believe he was entitled to any.

Jack started to recount past events, almost by rote, beginning with CTU's initial intel on the Salazar gang. They'd known that Hector and Ramon were supplementing their already huge drug profits by running guns and other armaments, some of which they were selling to terrorists plotting against the United States. Jack had gone undercover to get enough information to enable CTU to arrest the Salazars and shut their operation down.

Dully he told her about his addiction to heroin, something that had not been reported in the papers, and she briefly wondered why. That certainly made Jack look even worse, she realized. She thought the government would have been anxious to bring that out. She mentally filed that thought away. It might be significant.

Jack told her about the turning point in his investigation, when he'd learned that the Salazars were trying to get ahold of a lethal virus that could be loosed upon the population with horrific results. He explained how he'd returned to his undercover role, still a heroin addict, and why it had been necessary to break Ramon out of jail. She started to see why Cliff had asked her to meet with Jack. Maybe there's something here, she thought. There's certainly more than was made public.

Jack continued his recitation, still sounding like an automaton. There was no emotion in his voice. She realized again how broken this man was, and wondered if there was even anything there left to save. She hadn't known the pre-prison Jack, but from all reports he'd been a dynamo, the exact opposite of the man sitting across the table now. She couldn't help but wonder what had been done to him in prison, but she didn't even want to think about it. It must be horrible beyond words to have destroyed him so.

In a monotone, he told her about the mission. He left nothing out. He explained how he was supposed to look like a rogue, to cement his relationship with the Salazars, and how the only way he could accomplish his mission was to free Ramon. Starting a riot had never been part of his plan. Opening the doors to the cells had been meant as a diversion to allow Jack and Ramon to escape. The prisoners had jumped at the chance and started to riot. Jack had never forgiven himself for the deaths of the prison guards, especially the one who'd died playing Russian Roulette. Jack had made him pull the trigger, and was haunted by it, even, or especially, in his dreams.

He told her about commandeering a helicopter. He told her about his shock at learning of the involvement of Nina Myers. Barbara knew that Myers had killed Jack's wife. That had become public with the details of the assassination attempt on Senator, now President, David Palmer, and how Jack had saved the day. But the news that Myers had been pardoned at the time of the nuclear threat against Los Angeles, which Jack had also thwarted, had never been released. His role in detonating the bomb safely in the desert had become known, and had made him a full-fledged American hero, but nothing had been said of Myers. So far as anyone knew, Nina Myers was still in prison, and would be for life. Jack had not yet gotten to that part of his story, where he had killed Nina.

After describing his relationship with Claudia, and her subsequent death, Jack was exhausted. Just reliving these events was more than he could take. He seemed totally devoid of energy. Barbara realized that another interview would be necessary, for Jack was in no condition to continue. She would be back, she told him. She was intrigued.

After she buzzed for the guard, Jack was led back to his cell. He didn't believe Barbara would return. He thought she was as revolted by him as he was. He didn't believe he deserved help, so he didn't expect any.

After Jack left the room, Barbara asked to speak with the warden. Because of her reputation, her request was granted. As she entered his office she realized that she knew the man. When he was a police officer Thomas Knowles had testified in a case of hers. He had lied on the witness stand, and she had torn him apart on cross-examination. That was one of the cases that had cemented her reputation as a top-notch lawyer. She knew Knowles had it in for her, and she realized that she wouldn't get anywhere with him. Her request for medical attention for Jack would never be granted.

How Knowles had ever been put in charge of a prison was something she couldn't even imagine. He'd been charged with police brutality, among other things, after she'd destroyed him on 'cross,' and yet he was in command here. No wonder Jack looks like he's been tortured, she thought. This bstard would never do anything to stop it. She was afraid that Jack would be hurt even worse if she took his case. She didn't put it past Knowles to let that happen.

Nevertheless, she told the warden of Jack's condition, and demanded that he be given proper medical care, and then put in protective solitary confinement. She thought this was necessary to keep him separate from the general prison population, which seemed intent on attacking Jack, and seemed to be doing it at will. She strongly implied, although she couldn't threaten, that she would demand disciplinary proceedings against the warden if anything more was done to Jack. Even though she wasn't formally his attorney, she was sufficiently horrified by his condition to try to protect him from further torture.

Knowles had never forgotten the trouble Barbara had caused him in the police department. Only political connections had saved his career, and the same connections had enabled him to enter the corrections department, and eventually get the promotion to warden. He knew that Barbara had the clout to make good on her threat, which he took to be just that. He knew her reputation had only grown over the years, and he was afraid of the trouble she could make for him now. So he told her he would look into Bauer's situation. That was the most she would get. It was more than she expected from him. He must be scared, she thought with gratification. Maybe that will help Jack.

After Barbara left, the warden called in the chief guard. Knowles told him that they had to protect Jack from further beatings by the other inmates, but he had no intention of transferring Bauer to solitary. This traitor doesn't deserve special treatment, he thought. And Knowles believed himself to be a patriot. He didn't consider himself corrupt, and Jack had betrayed his country. The bstard deserves what happens to him, Knowles thought. But Knowles wouldn't jeopardize his career. He told the guard to get Bauer to the infirmary. He'd have to keep Bauer alive.

As she drove away from the prison, Barbara replayed her interview with Jack in her mind. Her instinct was that Cliff was right. There was something there. She'd be back to finish her interview with Jack, despite his doubts. Injustice drove her crazy, and she was beginning to think that was what had happened here.

Prison - Chapter 2

Jack lay on the upper bunk in his cell, and stared at the ceiling. Even climbing up to his bed caused him immense pain, but he was almost oblivious to it now. Living with constant pain was something he had gotten used to. He'd been hurt so badly, so many times, that he had spent as much time in the prison infirmary as he'd spent in his cell. My home away from home, he thought bitterly. As much as he thought he deserved everything that was done to him, he didn't have to like it.

Jack's injuries had exempted him from the work detail, so he had plenty of time to think. Physical labor, despite the pain, would have been a welcome distraction. Thinking only made things worse.

Kim had told Jack on her last visit that she and Chase were getting married. As genuinely happy as he was for her, for them, he was distraught that he could not be there to give her away. He liked Chase, and knew he would be a good husband to his daughter, and he totally approved of their marriage. He was devastated that he wouldn't be able to see it.

The wedding was to take place three weeks from that day, and Jack imagined how beautiful his baby Kimberly would look. The thought that her mother wouldn't be there to see it tore Jack apart. Jack still blamed himself for Teri's death, and he thought again that he deserved what was being done to him. He considered it just punishment for not protecting Teri. He also hated himself for taking the life of Ryan Chappelle. That was just one more thing he deserved punishment for, he thought. Jack believed he was an evil man. And evil men belonged in prison.

Prison - Chapter 3

As soon as she got back to her office Barbara checked her appointment book, and called the prison to schedule a further meeting with Jack. She was pleased to see that she could do it later that week. She asked that Jack be told when she would be back. She had sensed his doubt that she would return, and she wanted him to know that she believed there was something to his story.

She started reading the transcript of his trial, and saw immediately that Cliff was right. Jack had been denied the right to subpoena witnesses, who could have testified to the connection between the Salazars and the virus. They would have explained why Jack had had to break Ramon out of jail, and that he had not started the prison riot. People would see that he had only acted to protect the public. He's not a criminal, she thought. What he'd done was terrible, but there had been no other way. He'd acted to ensure the safety of millions. Barbara was very good at picking juries. She knew that if the jury had known that by his actions Jack had once again saved so many lives, the jury would not have convicted him. And Jack hadn't been allowed to bring any of it out at his trial. Jack hadn't had a fair trial. She determined to do something about it.

Even before meeting with Jack for a second time she knew she'd represent him. Someone had to make this right, and she had confidence in her abilities as a lawyer. She was up to the task.

Prison - Chapter 4

As she drove back to the prison for her second interview with Jack, Barbara reflected on her opinion of him. She felt tremendous sorrow for him, at the way he'd been mistreated in prison. She also sensed that loss of his good name had hurt him almost as much. While she might be able to gain his release from jail, she wondered if that would do him much good. It would prevent more physical abuse, but the man she'd met had been robbed of his identity. She realized that in order to do all of the brave and good things he had done, he had to have had tremendous confidence in himself and his abilities, and perhaps most of all, in his self-image. He had to have believed that what he was doing was right. His view of himself as a good man, fighting for a just cause, had clearly been crushed, and she doubted whether he could ever get that back. She thought it might be too late to reverse the terrible psychological damage he had suffered.

Barbara sensed that Jack was wracked with guilt. While he had not yet told her that he had taken Chappelle's life, she knew there was more to his story, and that it had contributed to the crushing of his view of himself. Jack clearly looked and sounded like someone who doubted that he deserved better than he was getting. She knew that her first impression of him was right: he was a broken man.

As she saw Jack walk into the attorneys' room she thought he looked even worse than before. Still in a monotone, he told her that he'd been discharged from the infirmary just the night before, but there were fresh cuts and bruises on his face. Obviously, Knowles wasn't doing a thing to protect Jack.

As she asked him to continue with his story, she could tell he was preoccupied. After a few probing questions, Jack told her that his daughter was to be married. She could see that he was distraught at the thought of not being there, but there was nothing she could do. Getting Jack a new trial would take time.

She got him to tell her what had happened in Mexico. He continued from the time of Claudia's death. He told her how Ramon had murdered his own brother, and about the negotiations for the virus. He told her that he had had to work with Nina, and she could see how disgusting that had been for him. Finally he told her how he had shot Chappelle. He said it dispassionately, but Barbara could see that that killing, more than any other, was eating him alive. She didn't know how he could go on. Then she realized that he wasn't.

When he told her about shooting Nina, she reflected that that had been perhaps his last feeling of passion. Killing Nina was expiation for Teri's death. She wondered why the government hadn't charged Jack for the murder of Nina Myers. Or whether, despite Palmer's sanction, he hadn't been prosecuted for killing Chappelle. She filed those thoughts away for further examination.

When Jack finished speaking Barbara told him that she'd represent him, and would try to get him a new trial. A fair trial. He expressed his gratitude, but he did it flatly. There was still no sign of emotion. Barbara had the feeling that he was being polite because he'd been brought up that way. He didn't seem to care if he lived or died, but now she did.

Prison - Chapter 5

Once again Jack was led back to his cell. He had a new cellmate, who was very familiar with the way the prison operated, and who knew how to work the system. He'd been there many times before. His name was Dennis, and he knew all too well who Jack was. The big tough government agent, he thought to himself. He doesn't look so tough.

Jack eyed Dennis warily, but he was too exhausted to even care much about the menace the man presented. Jack was resigned to more torture and beatings, but he hoped they'd end, and soon. Jack was ready to die. He was just afraid that Dennis wouldn't oblige.

He thought of his meeting with his new lawyer. She had sounded somewhat optimistic, although she had carefully explained to Jack that she couldn't promise him anything. He didn't want to think about Kim's upcoming wedding. That only meant more pain.

That night, after lights out, Jack heard the lower bunk creak beneath him. Then two strong hands were on him, dragging him out of bed. Jack didn't even bother to fight back. He had no fight left in him.

When Dennis was finished with him, Jack didn't even try to get up from floor. The pain was excruciating, but he'd learned, the hard way, that if he complained he'd only be made to endure more. He couldn't keep the tears from coursing down his cheeks. He wanted to die. Why don't I die? he wondered. Why won't they let me die?

Prison - Chapter 6

The next morning the guards found Jack still on the floor of his cell. They, too, were pleased to see this 'hero' get his comeuppance. But they knew that the warden had said they couldn't let Bauer get too badly hurt, so they took him back to the infirmary. They didn't know that was the last thing Jack wanted. He didn't want help. He wanted to die.

The doctor sighed as he saw Jack brought into the infirmary, yet again. It seemed like he treated this man at least once a week, and he kept him overnight whenever he could, out of pity. At least he isn't attacked in here, the doctor thought. But how much more of this can the man take? The doctor was powerless to do more than set Jack's broken bones, and stitch up his wounds. Yet he realized that the physical injuries were nothing compared to the psychological damage that Jack had endured. There were no pills he could give him for that.

After tending to Jack's injuries the doctor wrote up his usual report. "Inmate 23767 sustained a fracture to his left wrist," he wrote, "and a fracture of the second lumbar vertebra." In other words, Jack's back was broken. "The prisoner also suffered two lacerations to his scalp, requiring eight sutures, and a facial laceration that required five sutures." The doctor knew from his prior treatment of Jack that virtually every bone in his body had been broken, at one time or another. It's a miracle he isn't paralyzed, the doctor thought, and he can't be lucky much longer.

When Barbara showed up at the prison unexpectedly that morning, she was told at first that she couldn't see Jack. When she asked why, the guard tried to put her off. "He isn't available," she was told. "What do you mean he isn't available?" she asked the guard, irritated. "How can someone be unavailable in prison? He's not exactly out playing golf!"

The guard didn't know what to say. He'd heard about the beating Jack had taken the previous night, and that he was in the infirmary. Word had been passed to the guards to keep Jack safe, at least for the time being. The warden wouldn't be pleased by this, the guard knew. Knowles didn't care if Bauer was attacked, he just didn't want anyone to leave marks on him. Knowles was a bully, and he expected his orders to be obeyed.

When the guard called the infirmary, the doctor told him that Jack couldn't go to the interview room. Jack's back was broken. He was in too much pain to walk, and had been sedated. The guard didn't know what to tell Barbara. He, too, knew of her growing reputation as one of the best trial lawyers in the country. He knew she wouldn't be pleased to learn that her client had, once again, nearly been beaten to death.

Barbara demanded to speak to the warden, but she was told that Knowles was in a conference. She'd heard enough. "I want to see my client," she demanded, all five feet of her enraged. She knew something was wrong. Prisoners were never kept away from their lawyers.

The chief guard was called, and he realized that there was trouble. He called Knowles, who told the guard to deal with it. The warden didn't want to have to meet with Barbara. He was a coward at heart, and this petite woman with the black hair and eyes made him afraid. He knew his political connections couldn't protect him forever.

The chief guard decided that it would be best if Barbara was allowed to see Jack. He hadn't seen Bauer yet that day, so as he escorted her to the infirmary, he didn't know what he would find. But he knew it couldn't be good if the prisoner couldn't walk.

Jack looked worse than even the guard had expected. One of his eyes was swollen shut, there was a bandage around his head, and his arm was in a cast. Jack lay flat on a special bed that was used to treat spine injuries, not moving at all. Barbara was horrified when she saw him, outraged. No one should be treated this way, she thought. I'm going to put a stop to this.

She sat down next to the bed, and waited. Jack was in a drug-induced sleep, and the doctor told her he didn't know how long Jack would be out. She used the opportunity to examine Jack's medical records, and couldn't believe what she read. She tried to keep track of all of the broken bones listed in the reports, but she lost count at seventeen. They're going to kill him if I don't get him out of here soon, she realized.

She also read about Jack's withdrawal from heroin. That he'd been forced to go 'cold turkey' was cruel, she knew, when there were non-addictive drugs to help an addict end his drug abuse. She was surprised that this doctor, who seemed genuinely concerned about Jack, had permitted it, until she realized that this treatment, if you could call it that, had happened in the L.A. jail, before his trial. He hadn't yet been transferred to the prison. She admired Jack's courage, and hoped that the painkillers he was being given wouldn't rekindle his addiction.

She waited for more than an hour, but Jack showed no sign of awakening. She thanked the doctor for letting her see the records, and for obviously caring about Jack. As she left the prison she pointedly told the guard that she would be back, and soon. And she expected her client to be healthy. She also told the guard to deliver her message to the warden, personally.

Driving away from the prison, Barbara tried to calm herself. She couldn't help Jack if all she could see was his broken body. She headed back to her office, determined to get Jack out of prison. She knew that his life depended on it. She knew she was starting to care too much.

Prison - Chapter 6

That afternoon, Barbara received a call from a worried Kim Bauer. She'd tried to see her father, but had also been told that Jack was 'unavailable.' She, too, didn't understand how that could be, but she didn't have the clout to get past the guards. Kim knew that Barbara had agreed to represent her father, and she'd been told by Cliff Wexler, her father's friend, that Barbara was one of the best. Kim had never doubted her father's innocence, and was outraged by the treatment he'd received. She couldn't understand why CTU hadn't stood up for Jack, especially considering all he'd done for his country.

Barbara gently told Kim that her father had been hurt, but would recover. She didn't tell Kim the extent of Jack's injuries, and Kim was afraid to ask. Barbara wanted to meet with Kim to explain her legal strategy. They made an appointment for the next day.

The next morning, before her meeting with Kim, Barbara drove back to the prison. She was shown directly to the warden's office. The chief guard was also there when she arrived.

"We've moved Bauer into solitary," Knowles told her. "For his own protection." Even the warden was stunned by Jack's injuries. He knew that he would lose his job if Bauer died.

"It's about time," Barbara said indignantly. "If he's hurt again, in any way, it'll be your neck on the chopping block." Knowles knew this wasn't an idle threat. The death of Jack Bauer in prison would raise a lot of questions, and the warden knew that the answers wouldn't make him look good.

Back in her office, Barbara poured coffee for Kim and Chase and sat down next to Kim on the couch. "Kim," Barbara began. "You're dad has been badly hurt. His back was broken, but the doctor says he should heal without any permanent damage. They're moving him into a private cell. He should be safe there."

"How soon can you get him out?" Chase asked. He was sitting across the couch from the two women.

"I'm afraid that's not a certainty," Barbara replied, "and it will take time. The first step is to get him a new trial, where all of the evidence, including Jack's part in stopping the Cordilla virus, will come out. The jury was only told the bad things that Jack did. They weren't even given a hint that he had acted to save the public. So I'm hoping that the court will order a new trial."

Kim's spirits fell. She'd been hoping that somehow Jack would be freed in time for her wedding. Chase saw the expression on her face, and reached across the coffee table to take her hand. "How long do you think that will take?" he still wanted to know. Chase wanted Kim to have hope that Jack would one day be freed.

"I'm afraid it'll take at least a few months, and there's no guarantee that the appeal will work," Barbara replied, sorry that she couldn't be more positive. "The system's far rom perfect. Mistakes are made, but they're often corrected." Often, but not always, she said to herself.

They discussed the evidence that had been used against Jack at the trial. Videotape of the riot made by the local TV stations had been shown to the jury. Jack could clearly be seen running with Ramon to the helicopter, with the burning prison in the background. The jury had been told that Jack had caused the riot, but Barbara now knew that was a lie. His conviction was just wrong, she thought. He didn't cause those guards to die.

Barbara knew that the facts of the prison riot could not be denied. The key would be to explain why it had started in the first place. She would have to convince the court that the why of the riot mattered, and not the mere fact of it. The judges had to see that Jack's actions had been justified, and that the loss of life had not been his fault. They had to be made to know that Jack hadn't wanted anyone to be hurt, and that he had only acted to save millions of lives. They had to understand that breaking Ramon out of jail was the only chance they had to stop the release of the virus.

She knew that a large part of her task was to get the public on Jack's side. If the people understand that Jack was protecting them, she reasoned, there will be pressure to give Jack a new trial, where all of the facts can come out. She thought that this was the only strategy that had a chance of working. She told her plan to Kim and Chase, but she didn't tell them that Jack's life had to be left to chance.

Prison - Chapter 7

Although she had a lot of other cases, Barbara concentrated on helping Jack. She was impatient when she had to start a different trial. It took time away from her priority. When she could, she held news conferences and gave interviews about Jack. She wanted the public to understand that he had done what he had only in order to save them. Slowly, she was getting the message out there.

As newspapers and TV picked up the story, more details became known. Barbara made sure that the prison break was linked with Jack's work to stop Saunders. Editorials were written, suggesting that the trial had not presented all of the facts, and demanding that all of the events of that day be made public. The story wasn't page one yet, Barbara reflected, but we're getting there. This has to help.

One evening, after her secretary had gone home, Barbara heard the outer door to her office open. Odd, she thought. It's early for the cleaning people. And I don't have any more appointments.

She looked up as the inner door opened. A man walked in, and sat down without saying a word. "Who are you?" Barbara asked, clearly frightened.

"I'm here with a little friendly advice," he said, ignoring her question. This sounds like something from a bad movie, she thought. What's going on?

"Who are you?" she demanded again. "What do you want?"

"Like I said, I want to give you some advice. Or call it a warning, if you'd rather. Drop the Bauer case. Leave it alone."

Her feeling that she was watching a film noir increased. "Why? What are you warning me about? What if I don't listen to you?"

"You won't be happy if you don't listen to me, I can promise you that. Why doesn't matter. I'm warning you not to pursue the Bauer case. And you don't want to find out what will happen if you don't listen," the man answered her questions in reverse order. He was speaking in an almost casual tone. While his voice wasn't threatening, his demeanor certainly was. His mere presence in her office made her afraid.

Despite her fear, Barbara knew she couldn't let this go. "I won't be threatened," she said, hoping the man couldn't hear the terror in her voice. "I'm calling the police."

"Lady, I am the police," he said, deadly serious. "And you don't want to mess with me."

"Tell me why you're doing this," she demanded. "Who do you work for?"

"I work for the government," he confirmed. She was surprised that he admitted this. She didn't think anything like this ever happened in real life.

"What part of the government? Who sent you?" Although she was more frightened than she'd ever been in her life, she had to know who was behind this. What did the government have to hide?

"You're asking too many questions," he said, rising from the chair. "And you've been warned. There won't be any other warnings. So I suggest you listen to this one."

He left before she could react. She didn't stop shaking for ten minutes.

Prison - Chapter 8

She was experienced and sophisticated enough to appreciate all the power the government had. The man had been serious. This hadn't been an anonymous phone call, or an unsigned letter. Someone had risked a lot to actually send a messenger. Whoever was behind the threat obviously had the means and the intention to carry it out. She didn't know who to call. She didn't know where to start.

She was up all night, both too frightened and too confused to sleep. Around four in the morning she decided that there was only one person she could ask. Jack Bauer.

She was at the prison by eight, the time when lawyers could first meet with their clients. The guards let her into the interview room without a word. Minutes later, Jack arrived.

"Jack, something happened last night that I have to tell you about."

He could see that she was unnerved. She'd never looked anything but calm and reserved before, totally professional. "A man came to my office last night, and warned me to drop your case. He said he works for the government," she added. It sounded insane to her.

"What else did he say?" Jack asked. "Nothing else, really," she replied. "All he said was that I have to drop your case."

Jack was silent for a full minute. Who the hell would pull a stunt like this? he wondered. Who would risk threatening such a well-known lawyer, with all the publicity this case is getting?

"He must have said something else, Barbara. What did he look like?"

"I was too afraid to notice what he looked like, Jack. Just that he was a white man, around forty, dark eyes, thinning dark hair. About 6 feet," she answered. She hadn't realized how much she had, in fact, noticed. She'd heard so many physical descriptions by witnesses in court.

Still, the description was too general for Jack to make anything of it. "Any distinguishing marks? Any scars?" he asked. "No," she said. "I don't remember any."

"Barbara, I've made a lot of enemies over the years. A lot of bad people. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I don't want you to represent me anymore," he said. He couldn't be responsible for anyone else in his life being hurt.

"No way, Jack. No way," she said. "I'm not going to be threatened, and I'm not going to back off."

He realized that he was facing someone as stubborn as he was. But he wouldn't back down, either. "I don't want you as my lawyer anymore," he repeated. "And you can't represent me if I don't want you to."

Now Barbara was angry at Jack, as well as at the man who'd come to her office. "I'm not going away, Jack. I'm not walking away."

He started to speak, but she cut him off. "What we need to do is figure out why someone would make a threat like that. Give me a warning, as he called it. Obviously, someone doesn't want you to leave prison. Someone wants to keep you from talking, wants to make sure nobody would believe anything you said because you've been convicted of terrible crimes. Who could be behind this? Who has the most to hide?"

"Ever since I got in here I've wondered who was behind the charges against me. I haven't come up with any answers. And it doesn't matter." He was still determined to put distance between them. "I don't want you to represent me, Barbara. Thanks for everything. Good-bye."

He stood, and walked to the door. "Take me back to my cell," he said to the guard. "I'm finished here."

Barbara felt totally frustrated as she watched him leave. But he was right about one things. She was just as stubborn as he was.

Prison - Chapter 9

It was barely 8:30 when Barbara was back on the highway. As soon as she had driven out of the prison gates Barbara called Kim, who was surprised at the early call. "Kim, can you and Chase come to my office this morning?" she asked. "There's something I have to discuss with you."

"Sure, Barbara," Kim replied. "When do you want us there?"

"As early as you can make it," was the reply.

Throughout the drive back to L.A. Barbara was still thinking about Jack. He was right, she couldn't represent him if he didn't want her to, but she still wasn't about to give up. Her faith in 'the system' was shaken, and she couldn't practice law without at least some hope that there was justice out there. Even without Jack's authorization, she would continue to try to free him.

Kim and Chase tried to figure out what Barbara's call meant as they drove to her office. Jack's appeal hearing was more than a month away. "It sounded urgent," Kim told Chase, voice shaky. "Something must be wrong." She whispered, " What if they hurt Dad again?"

"Let's wait until we hear what she has to say. If Jack was hurt, she wouldn't ask you to come to her office to tell you." Chase was trying to be reassuring.

They got to Barbara's office building, and parked in the garage. As they waited for the elevator, Chase took Kim's hand. "She's going to get him out, Kim," he said. "He'll get out."

As she showed them into Barbara's office, her secretary, Linda Kramer, asked, "Can I get you some coffee? A soft drink?" They declined. They were impatient to know why Barbara had asked them to come.

Barbara sat behind her desk as Kim and Chase took chairs opposite her. "Something very strange happened," she told them right away. "And I don't know what to make of it."

Quickly, she told them about the visit from the threatening stranger, and Jack's insistence that she no longer be his lawyer. They were both surprised. They hadn't known what to expect, but it certainly wasn't this.

"I asked Jack who he thought was behind the case against him," she said, "and he told me he doesn't know. What I need you to do, Chase, is to work with me."

"I don't know who the players are," she continued. "I know that most of what Jack did for CTU is classified. I have to know who has something to hide. I have to know who's afraid of Jack."

Chase felt dejection settle over him. "I can't get you access to classified files, Barbara," he said. "Even I can't get into some of Jack's old case files."

"I can't help him if I don't know what I'm up against," she told them. "I have to know what – who – I'm fighting."

Kim shared Chase's dejection. She'd begun to hope that Jack would soon be freed. But now it seemed that Jack would stay in prison.

"I'm going to try to get through to President Palmer," Barbara said finally. "He might think that helping Jack will embarrass him politically. But I don't know how else to approach this."

She was clearly disappointed that Chase couldn't help. That would have been the most direct, and fastest, way to get to the bottom of this. Without access to Jack's old files through CTU, the only chance was Palmer.

Kim was crying as she and Chase walked to the door. "I'm not giving up," Barbara told Kim. "I'll find something."

After they left, Barbara took a deep breath. Then she reached for the phone.

Prison - Chapter 10

She hadn't thought it would be easy getting through to the President, but she had hoped that identifying herself as Jack Bauer's lawyer might help. After leaving a dozen messages for different people on Palmer's staff, there was nothing else she could do. For the first time since she'd undertaken Jack's defense, she felt discouraged.

The call came at about 4:30, 7:30 in Washington. The man identified himself as Wayne Palmer, the President's chief of staff. Barbara knew that he was also David Palmer's brother.

"I received your message, Ms. Gregory," he said. "The President asked me to find out why you called."

Barbara knew that Jack and the President had developed something of a personal friendship. David Palmer, of all people, knew what Jack had done for his country, and had deep admiration for him. "Mr. Palmer, a man came to my office last night, and threatened me. He told me to quit as Jack's lawyer, or else. He called it a 'warning,' but it was a threat. And he said he works for the government," she added.

"What part of the government?" was Palmer's immediate reaction. "Who does he work for?"

"He wouldn't say," she replied. "And he was dead serious."

"The President will be very upset to hear this, Ms. Gregory. But I don't see that there's anything he can do to help you."

She was prepared for this response. "There's something in Jack's past that someone is afraid of," she told him. "Something that someone very powerful wants to keep hidden."

There was a pause. Then Palmer continued, "I still don't see how the President can help."

"I need access to Jack's old case files," she answered. "There's something in them that someone is afraid of."

"Ms. Gregory, what you're asking can't be done. All of Jack's cases involved national security, which means that all records are classified at the highest level. I can't let you have access to them."

"Without them, Mr. Palmer, I can't get Jack out of prison. Because of the threat, he doesn't even want me to represent him anymore. He's afraid I'll be hurt. Someone powerful in the government is hiding something. It's in the President's best interests to find out who." She hoped that an appeal like this might help. It was all she had.

"Without some place to start I can't open top secret files to you. If you can tell me about a specific case I can have someone with a clearance look at the records. But not a fishing expedition, Ms. Gregory. The President can't allow that."

"Please discuss this with the President, Mr. Palmer," she asked. There was nothing else she could say.

"I'll tell him about your request, but I doubt that he'll grant it. He likes Jack Bauer very much, despite everything Bauer did, and I know he'd help him if he could. But nothing comes before national security," Palmer said. "Good-bye, Ms. Gregory."

A minute later Barbara realized she hadn't hung up. She'd been sitting there, just holding the phone. She had no one else to call.

Prison - Chapter 11

She got very little sleep over the next few days. She was convinced that there was a way to get to the bottom of this, because there had to be a way. Great logic, she thought to herself. That's really the way to solve this.

As she got out of the shower, her thoughts were still on Jack. He was all she seemed to be thinking about. She knew she had to focus on other clients, too, but she was having trouble concentrating on them.

She tried approaching the problem from different angles. She couldn't come up with an answer to the basic question: who was afraid of Jack? All he'd ever done was to serve his country, and he'd accomplished more than anyone had a right to ask. Yet he'd been hidden away, put in prison where his contacts with the outside world were severely restricted, and his reputation was destroyed. He had been completely discredited. No one would believe a single thing he said. Any statement by him would be viewed as sour grapes, especially one that seemed to implicate an official of the government in a crime.

Time and time again, Jack had accomplished his missions. Barbara reasoned that no one had anything to hide because of all Jack had done.

The thought didn't hit her, it evolved slowly as she pondered the case. Maybe all of Jack's missions weren't successful, she mused. A failed operation might give someone something to hide. After considering, she called Tony Almeida at CTU. She knew he was Jack's friend.

Tony was guarded on the phone. He hesitated before he agreed to her request to meet, but he finally said he'd come to her office that evening. Barbara found his reluctance curious. It wasn't what she had expected from a friend of Jack's.

Tony arrived promptly at seven. Ever since her mysterious visitor, Barbara kept the door to her office locked. When she went to open it, she peered out through the little peephole she'd had installed in the door. It was Tony Almeida. She'd seen his picture in the papers.

Barbara couldn't wait to begin. As Tony was still settling into his chair she asked the first question. "Mr. Almeida, did any of Jack's missions fail?"

He was caught off guard by the question, and surprise showed on his face. He quickly tried to hide it. "What do you mean by 'fail?'" he asked.

It was her turn to be surprised, but also annoyed. "Not successful, Mr. Almeida. Mission not accomplished." She didn't understand why he was playing games.

"There are degrees of success to our operations, Ms. Gregory," he said guardedly. He wouldn't give ice away in the winter. And he was supposed to be Jack's friend?

She let the exasperation she felt show in her voice. "Did any of Jack's missions not accomplish their prime objective?" She framed the question carefully. She wasn't going to stand for any bull.

Tony paused, obviously reluctant to answer. After a minute, during which Barbara neither moved nor spoke, he started to talk. "There was one mission. Operation Nightfall. I wasn't part of it, but I learned about it when the Drazens were after Palmer and Jack."

"What was the mission, Mr. Almeida?" she asked. "And why did it fail?"

"The mission was to kill Victor Drazen. I don't know why it failed," he told her.

"Who authorized the mission?" was her next question. Maybe the person behind the operation had something to hide. She hoped she was on the right track.

"I told you I wasn't part of it. I know very little about it. All I know is that they were supposed to take out Drazen, and for some reason it didn't happen. I don't know any more than that." Barbara knew he was lying, but she didn't want to take him on. Not yet, anyway.

Tony had only recently been pardoned by President Palmer, and Barbara wondered briefly if Tony hadn't been warned about talking to her. But that doesn't make sense, she thought. What does Tony know? And why would anyone around Palmer want to keep him quiet?

He refused to answer more questions, still insisting that he didn't know anything else about the mission.

The next morning Barbara drove back to the prison. After waiting in the interview room for 10 minutes, the guard told her that Jack refused to see her. She instructed the guard to tell Jack that she would wait for as long as it took. And she'd keep coming back until he agreed to speak with her.

He was angry as he walked in, the first emotion she'd seen him display. "I told you you're not my lawyer anymore," he said. "I don't want your help. Leave me alone." He was standing at the table. He refused to sit.

"Look, Jack, I'm still your lawyer. Kim hired me. She paid me a fee." Barbara didn't tell him that Kim had paid her a dollar. "So I'm your lawyer unless Kim fires me."

Jack wasn't about to give up. He was afraid for her safety. He knew that a threat like this was real. "Please. Do what I say. These are not people to fool around with. Trust me. I know." He got more upset with each word he said.

"Jack, I'm committed to this. I'm not going to change my mind. So just answer my questions." She paused. "Tell me about Nightfall."

He sucked in his breath. Of all things, he hadn't been expecting this.

"How the hell do you know about Nightfall? That's classified," he protested. "It's never been made public." He finally sat down.

"That's irrelevant," she said. "I want to know why Operation Nightfall failed."

"What do you know about the mission?" he asked. He was even more afraid for her safety now. She shouldn't be involved in this. He wasn't going to tell her more than she already knew.

"I know that the plan was to kill Victor Drazen, and that it didn't work," she said. "And I know that Drazen was behind the attempt on Palmer, and on you. What I need to know is why Nightfall failed."

"Why is that important?" Jack demanded.

"Because it doesn't make sense that anyone would have anything to hide regarding your successful missions. But Nightfall failed for a reason. Maybe someone doesn't want you to be able to tell what that reason was."

Jack pondered this, his mind racing. She might be right, he thought. But if I tell her, and she tries to use the information to help me, she'll be in even more danger.

"All I know is why it failed. I was never able to learn who made it fail," he said.

His statement surprised her. "Do you mean someone wanted it to fail? It wasn't because of bad planning, or bad luck, or something like that? Someone set you up?"

Jack realized he had given away more than he'd wanted to, but he couldn't take back his words. "Yes, we were set up. The mission was meant to fail."

"What went wrong, Jack? What happened?"

With reluctance Jack told her about the mission. He explained that Drazen's people had somehow learned the radio frequency Jack and his team were using, and that they'd used the signal to locate and kill his men. He'd never been able to find out who had revealed the frequency.

"Was it something that was selected for you? It wasn't something you and your men picked?" she asked.

"We couldn't keep the frequency to ourselves," Jack said, referring to his ground team. "We had to be able to talk to the chopper. We had to be able to tell them when we were at the extraction point, so they could pick us up."

"What happened, Jack?" she asked quietly.

"Two of my team were killed at the very beginning, when we first went after Drazen. We didn't realize his guys were listening to our conversations. They knew exactly where we were. Drazen's men were expecting us. They got two more of my team as we approached his house. I managed to call in the air strike, and then I called for the chopper after the house was bombed. I was talking to my last man, arranging to meet him for extraction, when he was shot. I heard it over my radio. I couldn't reach him after that. And then the copter came." He paused. "Before I left I found four bodies. I never found the fifth." There was another, terrible pause. "I was the only survivor."

Jack was clearly shaken by this recitation. The memories of that day haunted his dreams, seeming to alternate with his nightmares about Chappelle, the prison guard, and Teri. The only time he slept was when the doctor gave him painkillers in the infirmary. Jack didn't want to think about what that implied.

Barbara was silent after Jack finished. She could visualize the attack, could see the pain in Jack's eyes. That's another thing he blames himself for, she realized. The deaths of his men.

"Obviously," she said slowly, "whoever leaked the information about the frequency has a great deal to hide. And a great reason to discredit you."

"That makes sense," Jack said. The thought was a new one. He'd always looked for the person who'd given his team away. He'd never thought that whoever it was had tried to silence him by sending him to prison.

"Who would have had the motive, Jack? Who would have wanted that mission to fail?"

"When I found out that Drazen had been hidden in a secret prison facility, the obvious question was who could have set it up." He paused again. "But then Teri died, and I never pursued it."

"I think it's worth pursuing now," Barbara said. "And the place where I think we should start has to be near the top. A low-level bureaucrat wouldn't be able to set up and fund secret prisons."

"I agree," Jack said. But the thought occurred to him again. Looking into Nightfall would put Barbara in danger. And someone in the government already thought she was too curious.

"Look, Barbara, I really appreciate everything you've done for me. But I don't want to pursue this. It's enough. I've had enough."

"Cut the crap, Jack," she said. She knew she was finally headed in the right direction. She wasn't about to let him give up now.

She stood. "I'll be back in a few days," she said. "I'll let you know what I find."

Prison - Chapter 12

The next week Barbara returned to the prison. She hadn't managed to learn anything more about Nightfall, but she still had good news for Jack. As she drove there she wondered how he would react. He'd seemed almost more withdrawn since his last stay in the infirmary, and she didn't think it was all because of physical pain. Some of it, maybe a lot of it, is because he's been in solitary all this time, she thought. But he would have died otherwise, she knew without a doubt. That's one hell of a trade-off, she reflected. Keep the man alive, but further destroy his spirit. Or what's left of it, she thought.

This time Jack was waiting for her in the attorneys' room. She had called ahead, and told the guards she was on her way, and didn't want any delay in seeing her client. Since Jack's broken back, they'd taken better care of him. Or at least so it seemed.

He looks better, she thought as she walked into the interview room. There were no fresh bruises on him, and except for his already-broken nose, he seemed in good shape. He's lost more weight, though, she noticed. She didn't know that the guards kicked Jack in the stomach and ribs now, instead of letting the prisoners pummel him. She didn't know that Jack had trouble keeping food down.

"The court granted your appeal," she said, even before he could sit at the table. "You're going to get a new trial."

As they sat at the table, Barbara told him what the court had said. "They agreed that all of the evidence should have been presented to the jury. At the new trial, the jury will hear about the connection between the Salazars and the virus. They'll see that you only did what you had to do. They'll understand that you saved their lives."

Jack still showed no interest. How do I help a man who doesn't care what happens to him, she wondered. She didn't know about the news Kim and Chase had brought him the day before.

"We're going to have a baby, Dad!" Kim had told him. "Your first grandchild!"

Despite everything, Jack felt tears in his eyes. This is the news every father dreams of hearing, he realized. And he was alive to see it.

Then it hit him. Yeah, I'm alive, but I'll never see it. They'll never let them bring a baby here. I'll never see my grandchild. The thought sent him reeling. I'll never see Teri's grandchild.

This new baby would be a part of Teri. This new little life would be a continuation of her. The thought brought him both pleasure and pain. Teri should be here for this, he thought. But she won't be, because of me.

Barbara saw that Jack was lost in thought. She didn't know what she expected him to say about a new trial, but she'd expected him to say something

"Jack?" she asked. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Barbara. I didn't hear everything you said. What will happen at a new trial?" he asked.

"We'll have a chance to tell everyone what really happened. Everything that happened. People will understand why you had to break Ramon out of jail. They'll understand that you didn't start the riot. They'll see that you saved them from the virus."

"People want to know why you're getting a new trial, Jack," she continued. "They don't understand the legal principles, but they're getting a new perspective on things. TV and the newspapers have been giving this a lot of press. People are starting to understand that you had to do what you did."

Jack took a deep breath. "Do you think there's a chance?" he asked. "That I can get out of here?"

"Yes, Jack," Barbara answered. "I think there's a good chance."

Tears filled his eyes. He had decided he needed to live. He had to get out of prison if he ever wanted to see his grandchild. And that was more important than anything.

Prison - Chapter 8

Barbara explained to Jack that there were still hurdles to overcome. "There's going to be a hearing before a new trial, Jack. The judge will hear testimony from the witnesses we want to call. Then he'll decide what the jury can actually be told at the new trial. What I have to get now is the court's permission for the press to watch the hearing." The government claimed that the courtroom should be closed because matters of national security were involved. But Barbara was confident that at least some of the details of the mission with the Salazars and the virus would become public. The public would demand to know more, and the trial would have to be open to press coverage, or people would think that the government was trying to hide something. Publicity would only help Jack's case.

As she told this to Jack, he nodded his understanding. This wasn't a done deal, but for the first time it looked like things were going his way. Now it mattered. If he was freed, he'd be able to see the baby, and that was what gave him energy now. He knew that suddenly he had a reason to live.

"The hearing is in seven weeks," she told him. "I have a lot of work to do to get ready, so I may not be here for a little while. But I'll be back by the end of next week, no later."

She stood to leave. "Don't give up, Jack. I'm not."

Prison - Chapter 13

The courtroom was Barbara's natural milieu. She thought of trials as the closest thing modern civilization had to gladiator combat. The difference was that the combatants didn't use swords, and the only shield was justice. It was corny, she knew, but she thought the analogy was apt. The problem was that a shield could break. She could only hope it wouldn't break now.

She looked at Jack as he was led into the courtroom. As he sat next to her at the counsel table, she saw that he was still shackled. As if this man would ever run away from anything, she thought. Good or bad.

The first thing Barbara did after the judge took the bench was to ask that the handcuffs and leg restraints on Jack be removed. The judge agreed. Jack massaged his wrists after the manacles were taken off. He felt like more of a human being, and less like a captured animal. He was totally involved in the proceedings now, for he had a reason to live.

Barbara called Tony Almeida as her first witness. He seemed reluctant as he walked to the front of the courtroom. Again she was puzzled by his unwillingness to help his friend.

His voice was almost inaudible as he swore the oath. He settled into the chair as Barbara rose from the table. The reporters, whom Barbara had worked so hard to get in to cover the hearing, waited, while a sketch artist was busily drawing Jack's gaunt face.

After preliminary questions, Barbara got down to work. "Mr. Almeida," she said, "please tell the court about the mission to capture Ramon and Hector Salazar."

In a very low voice, which several times Barbara asked him to raise, he told about the operation he, Gael and Jack had planned. He explained that CTU had learned of the Salazars' arms-selling operation, and that the three agents had determined that an undercover sting would be needed to gather evidence against Hector and Ramon. He described how they had agreed that Jack would be the one to go undercover, as he was by far the most experienced in the field.

Tony paused in his story, and Barbara asked her next question. "What did Mr. Bauer do to prepare for this mission?"

Tony looked at her in surprise. Slowly, he said, "I'm not sure what you mean."

Barbara made her question more specific. "Did Mr. Bauer do anything to make the Salazars trust him?"

Tony couldn't feign a lack of understanding, but he still didn't want to answer the question. The judge prompted him. "Please answer, Mr. Almeida."

Again Tony paused. Finally he said, "He began using heroin." Barbara could hear the rustling of pages as the reports scribbled their notes.

"I don't understand, Mr. Almeida," the judge interjected. "He used heroin to gain their trust?"

"Yes, your honor," Tony replied, looking at the judge. "The Salazars would never have trusted Jack unless they were convinced he had given up on his old life. The life he had led with his family. With CTU."

"So Mr. Bauer began using heroin to convince these people that he was serious? Is that what you're telling me?"

"Yes, that's what I'm telling you. The Salazars weren't the most trusting sort. Jack had to make them believe that he had turned his back on everything he'd ever done. He needed them to believe that he had moved as far away from his old life as he could. And he did that by becoming addicted to heroin."

"Did this work?" asked the judge. "He got in with this gang by using drugs? I'd have thought that the last person these men would have trusted was a drug addict."

"Ordinarily you're right, Judge," Tony responded. "But in this case, the Salazars knew that Jack had worked with CTU, and that he'd been squeaky clean. A boy scout who always did what he thought was right. So to get them to believe that he had changed sides, Jack had to due a 180. He had to look like he'd left the side of the angels, and had gone over to the Dark Side." The judge had seen Star Wars. He understood the reference.

"Continue, Ms. Gregory," the judge said. Barbara walked over to Tony.

"Mr. Almeida, whose idea was it for Mr. Bauer to use heroin?"

"His," Tony replied. "He didn't tell Gael or me about it. He knew we wouldn't approve. But when we learned what he'd done we realized that he'd made the right choice. The Salazars would never have trusted him if he hadn't started using."

Barbara walked back to the counsel table. "Did your plan work?" Tony had to raise his voice to be heard. It made him sound more convincing.

"Yes," Tony affirmed. "Jack got in with them, and learned all about their operations. They completely trusted him. He'd told them of the betrayal he'd felt when Nina was pardoned for killing Teri, and helping the Drazens. He hadn't yet learned of Nina's involvement with them."

"Please continue, Mr. Almeida," she said. "Did the plan to get the Salazars succeed?" She wanted more details.

"Jack was able to channel intel to us. We started to build a case against them."

"And then what happened?" Barbara asked. "How did the plan progress?"

"Jack sent word about the Cordilla virus. He had learned that it was on the market, for sale to the highest bidder. He knew that it posed an immediate threat to the entire population of the U.S. He worked up a plan to have the Salazars win the auction, and then we could arrest them and get possession of the virus. He had to convince the Salazars that they could make a lot of money by acting as middleman. They would buy the virus from a man named Amador, and then re-sell it to whatever terrorist groups were interested. Jack convinced them that the money they would make more than justified the risk." The connection between the Salazars and the virus was now in the public record. The reporters were listening intently. This was headline-worthy news.

"Was Mr. Bauer at risk at any time during this mission?" was her next question.

"He was at risk throughout the entire mission. There was always the possibility that the Salazars would learn that Jack was working undercover for CTU. They'd have killed him immediately. His life was always on the line," Tony said in a much stronger voice. He started to sound like he really wanted to help Jack.

"What happened next, Mr. Almeida?" This was going very much the way Barbara wanted. Tony was turning into a good witness.

"Jack learned that Nina Myers was representing another bidder. Nina had killed Jack's wife," Tony said. "She'd aided the Drazens, the people behind the assassination attempt on David Palmer. She was ultimately pardoned by the President, and it was more than Jack could stomach. That part of his cover story was real. He was very angry at the government, at President Palmer especially. He'd never understood why Nina's involvement in the nuclear bomb threat to Los Angeles hadn't caused the President to cancel the pardon."

Barbara paused before asking her next question. "In your opinion, who was most important in stopping the plot to release the Cordilla virus?

Tony replied, with more emphasis than before. "Jack. Unquestionably Jack. If it wasn't for him, millions would have died."

Barbara paused again, to let the effect of Tony's answer sink in. Then she asked, "Was there a direct connection between Mr. Bauer's undercover work with the Salazars and his success in stopping the virus?"

"Absolutely," Tony said. "Without Jack, we never would have even learned that the virus was on the market. If he hadn't worked his way into the Salazars' operation, the virus would have been released." He repeated, " Millions would have died."

"What was the purpose of the prison break, Mr. Almeida? Why did Jack Bauer break Ramon Salazar out of prison?"

"That was the only way Jack could get the Salazars involved with the bidding for the virus. He had to get Ramon back to Mexico so he could convince his brother Hector that Jack's plan to buy the virus in the auction would make them a lot of money. By breaking Ramon out, Jack further convinced them that he had switched to their side. His addiction to heroin had gone a long way to convince them of that, but they had lingering suspicions. The prison break proved to them, once and for all, that Jack had severed all ties to his former life."

"Mr. Almeida, did you, Mr. Ortega and Mr. Bauer plan to start a prison riot?" She had to get this out in public.

"Absolutely not," Tony said. "The plan was to get Ramon out of jail by using fake documents. It didn't work because I was shot, and I wasn't able to send Jack the release he needed to take Ramon out. Because of that, Jack needed to break him out. Jack did not cause that riot. He wasn't responsible for what happened."

That should do it, Barbara thought with relief. It's out there now for the whole world to see. The prison break was necessary to stop the release of the virus. Now everyone will understand that Jack was a hero, not a villain. But she understood that she needed another witness to cement Tony's testimony. Tony was Jack's friend. The prosecutor could claim that Tony was biased.

"I have no more questions for this witness, your honor," Barbara said. Tony left the witness box and took a seat in the spectator section of the courtroom, next to Kim and Chase. There wasn't much room there. There were a lot of reporters covering the hearing. The more the better was Barbara's take on things. The more news reports there are, the more people will learn that Jack was always one of the good guys.

The next witness Barbara called was Brad Hammond, the Regional Director of CTU. He, too, was very reluctant to testify at the hearing, but he hadn't been able to avoid the subpoena Barbara had issued. Jack's lawyer at his trial hadn't been allowed to call any witnesses from CTU, so there had been no way for him to show the connection between the Salazars and the virus. The lawyer had given up on Jack after he was convicted. He felt his reputation had been tarnished by the verdict, and he wasn't about to risk what was left of it. He wouldn't file an appeal for Jack. He left him to rot in jail.

Barbara knew that Hammond had learned all of the details of Nightfall, and the Drazens' connection to Stephen Saunders, the man who had threatened the country with the virus. Barbara need him to finish connecting the dots.

"Mr. Hammond," Barbara said, after he was sworn in. "As Regional Director of CTU, what are your duties?

"I supervise the CTU offices in the western United States. Everything west of the Mississippi River."

"That covers a lot of territory, Mr. Hammond. So how familiar are you with the Salazar operation that Mr. Bauer planned to stop Stephen Saunders from releasing the virus?"

"I'm fully familiar with it," Hammond replied. "I learned all about the mission after Jack broke Ramon out of prison."

"So you didn't participate in the planning of the mission, Mr. Hammond? You found out about it after Mr. Bauer was on his way back to Mexico?"

"That's correct," Hammond said.

"You said you're fully familiar with the operation, Mr. Hammond. Does that include the actions Mr. Bauer took to break Ramon Salazar out of prison, and the riot that followed?" she asked.

"Yes, " Hammond responded.

"Was there a connection between the prison break and stopping the release of the Cordilla virus?"

"Yes," Hammond repeated. "There was."

"What was the connection?" Barbara inquired. She knew this was crucial.

"If Jack hadn't broken Ramon out of prison, the Salazars would never have bid for the virus. We wouldn't have known of Amador's involvement, so we wouldn't have been able to trace the vials to Los Angeles."

"So in your opinion, was breaking Salazar out of prison necessary for Mr. Bauer to accomplish his mission to stop release of the virus?"

"Yes," Hammond said. "It was necessary." He said it grudgingly. He certainly didn't sound like he wanted to help Jack. That's actually good for us, Barbara thought. He can't be accused of bias, the way Tony can. Hammond is certainly no fan of Jack's.

"In your opinion, based upon your familiarity with the operation, was there anything different Mr. Bauer could have done to accomplish his mission to stop the virus?"

"No, there was not," Hammond said, without emotion. This was definitely helping.

There was no mistaking the fact that Jack clearly was not a favorite of Hammond's.

"I have no further witnesses, your honor," Barbara said. She sat down.

To her surprise, the prosecutor didn't want to cross-examine either Tony or Hammond, and offered no witnesses of his own to refute their testimony. They weren't challenging the claim that Jack had acted solely to save the people of the United States.

"All of this testimony can be used at the new trial," the judge ruled. "That will start four weeks from today."

For the first time since he'd walked into the courtroom, Barbara looked at Jack. She was afraid he would continue to be apathetic. To her surprise, instead of his usual slouch Jack was sitting up in his chair. He seemed genuinely interested in the proceedings, and she even thought she saw a small smile on his face. Maybe he's turned a corner, she thought. Maybe he's learning to care about himself again.

Jack stood and turned to Kim, who had been sitting in the front row with Chase. For the first time in nine months he was able to hug and kiss his daughter. Barbara saw the tears in his eyes. He knows he has something to live for, she thought. He does care.

Before he was led out of the courtroom, Barbara spoke with Jack. She explained what would happen next. "There'll be a new trial, and Tony and Hammond will testify this time. The jury will hear that you acted to save the country. I think you'll be acquitted. But you know I can't promise you that. No one can really predict what a jury will do."

Jack told her he understood, and how grateful he was for all of her work on his behalf. He realized the difference the additional testimony would make. He, too, was hopeful he'd be acquitted. He wanted out of prison. He needed to be free.

Prison - Chapter 14

The day before the trial was to start Barbara received a call from the prosecutor. He told her that the government didn't want to proceed with a new trial. They agreed to free Jack, and dismiss the charges against him. She had won.

The prison officials took their time to process Jack's release, so it was three days before she could pick him up and take him to Kim's. Kim was too far along in her pregnancy to make the trip, and Chase didn't want to leave her, so it was Barbara who brought Jack home.

As she drove to the prison to get Jack she felt tremendous satisfaction, but she felt worried, too. They'd never found out who had set up Nightfall to fail. Whoever it was was still out there.

After the paperwork was done Jack walked out of the prison with Barbara. He didn't look back. He got into the car, his eyes straight ahead. He wanted to get away from this place as fast as he could.

Barbara had put the top down on her convertible so Jack could feel the rush of fresh air on his face. He'd never expected to feel anything like it again. There are a lot of things I never thought I'd have again, he realized. There are a lot of things out here for me.

Jack spoke for the first time since they'd left the prison. He asked if they could stop at a diner. He wanted a milk shake. He couldn't say why, but it was important to him. It would be his first taste, literally, of freedom.

As they pulled up to Kim's, she and Chase were waiting on the sidewalk. There were balloons tied to their mailbox. Kim had asked the others, Cliff and his wife June, and Jack's other friends not to come there. She knew that Jack would feel overwhelmed.

He settled into the guest room at Kim and Chase's house, but he knew he couldn't stay there. They needed to set it up as a nursery. He had to find his own place.

After a few days of looking Jack found a townhouse complex near Kim. He didn't want to be far from his family. He bought some furniture from a store that sold it as a package, a whole room at a time, and he settled in. He had signed a lease for a year, realizing that it was the first time since Teri died that he had real plans for a future.

A week later Jack called Barbara. He thanked her profusely, and invited her to dinner. He knew that she had refused to charge a fee for her services. He'd found out that Kim had only paid Barbara a dollar, and he was amused that he'd fallen for it. He wanted to show his gratitude.

They met a few nights later at a restaurant Jack had always liked, near Malibu. They never talked about the trial, or Jack's ordeal. Instead, they found out about each other, and they liked what they learned. It wasn't until the maitre d' politely told them that the restaurant was closing that they realized they'd been talking, non-stop, for more than three hours.

As Jack walked Barbara to her car, he told her that he wanted to see her again. She smiled and said, "I want that, too."

Prison - Chapter 14

Jack had still not fully recovered from all of the injuries he sustained in prison. He started a course of physical therapy to try to restore his body to the previous strength he had known. He wasn't yet ready to work.

He hadn't decided what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. His days as a counterterrorim agent were clearly over. He knew he could go back to school, get a Masters or even a PhD in English Literature, his first love. He thought he'd be a good teacher. He just wasn't sure that was what he wanted to do.

He pondered his other options. He could go into a security firm, that was a natural. Many corporations were looking for advice to keep their overseas personnel safe. But Jack didn't think he wanted anything to do with terrorism, even peripherally. Meanwhile, he continued to see Barbara.

It wasn't until several months into their relationship that they made love for the first time, and it was special for both of them. Neither of them believed in casual sex. There had to be an emotional connection before there could be a physical one. There was a definite connection between them now.

Barbara was a gentle and caring woman, Jack had found. Beneath the veneer of her professionalism, which created the appearance that she was all-business, he discovered the sensitivity and genuine warmth he'd always sensed was there. He realized that her concern for him when he was in prison had been real, that it was more than concern for a client. He finally saw that she had fought to keep her growing personal feelings for him at arms-length. She hadn't let anything cloud her objectivity.

As they lay in bed they talked quietly. Jack told her of the options he was considering for a second career. Barbara urged him to follow his instincts. She knew they had served him well when he was CTU. There was no reason to ignore them now.

They got together whenever they could. Jack found that he was lonely when she was out of town on a case. Because of her work to free Jack she was in even greater demand. It was natural for people to want the best, and she was the best.

Four months after his release from prison Jack and Barbara went to Lake Tahoe to ski. Jack's physical stamina had returned, and his emotional recovery was almost complete.

They had found that they enjoyed many of the same things, including sports. They were both hockey fans, and they both loved to play tennis. Barbara had been late in coming to skiing, but she was learning. She wasn't at Jack's level, yet, but he didn't doubt that she would get there.

He looked at the beautiful woman sitting next to him on the chair lift, and smiled. Her petiteness made him feel protective. Everything about her made him feel good.

Two weeks later Barbara was out of town on a case, so Jack was alone when he got the call from Chase at 3 in the morning. "Kim's in labor!" Chase told his father-in-law. "We're at the hospital. She's fine, Jack, and the doctor said it'll still be a few more hours. But she's doing fine."

Jack inhaled sharply. He was about to become a grandfather.

Jack got to the hospital very quickly. As he followed the nurse's directions to the maternity floor, the smells of the hospital reminded him of all the time he had spent in the prison infirmary, and some of the old feelings came back. He was bitter, he knew, and he hated himself for it. He had to get over that feeling in order to build a new life. A new baby will help, he thought. It'll help me appreciate life again. And Barbara, too, he realized. I need her to be part of it.

Several hours later Jack was standing in the corridor when Chase came out of the delivery room. "It's a boy, Jack! A beautiful, healthy little boy! And Kim's fine. She was terrific, Jack. And you should see her holding the baby. It's fantastic."

Jack felt something he'd never expected to experience again: joy. Kim was safe, and she was the mother of a healthy baby.

Jack stood in front of the nursery, looking at his grandson through the window. He's got Teri's nose, Jack thought, and was overwhelmed with tears. The baby was a continuation of Teri. A part of Teri lived on.


End file.
